Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Owen Sound and Rugby

For one person, living is cheaper in Owen Sound: $2,023 a month against $2,347 in Rugby, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Owen Sound
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,023
/mo nomad
Rugby
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,347
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Owen Sound and in Rugby

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Owen Sound and in Rugby actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,023 in Owen Sound versus $2,347 in Rugby.

  • Owen Sound $2,023
  • Rugby $2,347

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,086 in Owen Sound versus $3,506 in Rugby.

  • Owen Sound $3,086
  • Rugby $3,506

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,149 in Owen Sound versus $4,665 in Rugby.

  • Owen Sound $4,149
  • Rugby $4,665

Living in Owen Sound costs roughly 14% less than in Rugby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Owen Sound 49% above, Rugby 73% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Owen Sound
Rugby
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 CA$19.70
$19.62 £14.72
-28.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.66 CA$68.8
$79.2 £59.4
-38.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.96 CA$12.67
$9.53 £7.15
-5.98%
Cappuccino
$3.40 CA$4.81
$4.91 £3.68
-30.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 CA$3.02
$2.12 £1.59
0.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 CA$2.46
$1.50 £1.13
16.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.32 CA$6.10
$6.05 £4.54
-28.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55 CA$7.84
$6.58 £4.94
-15.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Owen Sound
Rugby
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.56 CA$3.62
$1.70 £1.28
50.59%
White Bread (500g)
$2.79 CA$3.95
$1.75 £1.32
59.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 CA$4.68
$2.55 £1.91
29.80%
Eggs
$4.18 CA$5.91
$3.77 £2.83
10.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.60 CA$13.58
$9.32 £6.99
3.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.58 CA$22.02
$7.79 £5.85
100.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$24.03 CA$33.96
$15.11 £11.34
59.03%
Apples (1kg)
$3.43 CA$4.86
$2.59 £1.95
32.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.92 CA$2.71
$1.75 £1.31
9.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.22 CA$4.55
$2.41 £1.81
33.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.96 CA$4.19
$3.17 £2.37
-6.62%
Potato (1kg)
$2.38 CA$3.37
$1.66 £1.25
43.37%
Onion (1kg)
$2.59 CA$3.67
$1.75 £1.31
48.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.15 CA$3.04
$1.24 £0.93
73.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 CA$1.87
$1.58 £1.19
-16.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.73 CA$19.40
$21.66 £16.25
-36.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.58 CA$19.19
$11.81 £8.86
14.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.54 CA$6.41
$3.59 £2.70
26.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.99 CA$7.06
$3.38 £2.53
47.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Owen Sound
Rugby
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.07 CA$2.93
$2.64 £1.98
-21.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.1 CA$85.0
$106 £79.7
-43.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.69 CA$6.62
$4.69 £3.52
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.62 £1.21
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.50 CA$34.64
$24.42 £18.32
0.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 CA$1.60
$2.09 £1.56
-45.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.0K CA$38.1K
$39.2K £29.4K
-31.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.8K
$40.9K £30.7K
-48.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Owen Sound
Rugby
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.5 CA$125
$265 £199
-66.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.61 CA$40.44
$19.84 £14.88
44.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.59 CA$67.3
$46.42 £34.83
2.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Owen Sound
Rugby
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$113 CA$159
$57.0 £42.79
97.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$41.11 CA$58.1
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.77 CA$10.98
$14.91 £11.18
-47.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Owen Sound
Rugby
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$468 CA$662
$1,600 £1,200
-70.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,205 CA$10.2K
$22.5K £16.9K
-68.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Owen Sound
Rugby
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$35.57 CA$50.3
$108 £81.4
-67.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.20 CA$38.45
$31.56 £23.68
-13.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.8 CA$124
$83.0 £62.2
5.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 CA$153
$113 £84.8
-4.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Owen Sound
Rugby
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,350 CA$1,909
$1,107 £831
21.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$898 CA$1,269
$1,044 £783
-14.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,196 CA$3,104
$1,797 £1,348
22.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 CA$2,253
$1,844 £1,383
-13.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,965 £3,725
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,847 £2,886
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Owen Sound
Rugby
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,013 CA$4,259
$4,705 £3,529
-35.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.26
5.09
3.34%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Owen Sound: October 18, 2026

Last update for Rugby: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Owen Sound
$898
Rugby
$1K 16.3% $146
Groceries & Markets
Owen Sound
$415
Rugby
$302 27.3% $114
Eating Out
Owen Sound
$227
Rugby
$302 32.9% $75
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Owen Sound
$165
Rugby
$332 101% $167
Sport & Entertainment
Owen Sound
$128
Rugby
$87 32.2% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Owen Sound
$116
Rugby
$151 29.9% $35
Getting Around
Owen Sound
$73 *
Rugby
$130 77.2% $56

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,350 in Owen Sound and $1,107 in Rugby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rugby pays 56% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Owen Sound vs $79.0 in Rugby. Groceries flip the comparison at $415 vs $302, with Rugby cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Owen Sound
🇬🇧 Rugby
🕒 Local time
07:39 7:39 AM
12:39 12:39 PM
5 h ahead of Owen Sound
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,341
70,628
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Owen Sound Rugby 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Owen Sound
  • Rugby

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Owen Sound vs Rugby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rugby cheaper than Owen Sound?
Owen Sound is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Owen Sound or Rugby?
On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Rugby. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Owen Sound and Rugby?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,350 in Owen Sound versus $1,107 in Rugby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Owen Sound or in Rugby?
Dining out is cheaper in Owen Sound – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $79.0 in Rugby. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Owen Sound and in Rugby?
All in, you'll spend $2,023 per month in Owen Sound versus $2,347 in Rugby – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Owen Sound or in Rugby?
At $2,023 in Owen Sound versus $2,347 in Rugby, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Owen Sound but tight or insufficient in Rugby. The gap between the two cities makes Owen Sound the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Owen Sound or in Rugby?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Owen Sound or Rugby?
Safety-wise, Owen Sound and Rugby are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Owen Sound gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Rugby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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